The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in partnership with the Northern Ireland War Memorial (NIWM) invite you to a talk to mark the 85th anniversary of the Belfast Blitz by NIWM Research Officer, Michael Burns.

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the Northern Irish Blitz, the four devastating air riads in April and May 1941 which resulted in nearly 1,000 casualties and left an indelible mark on Belfast as well as Bangor, Derry/Londonderry and Newtownards. This talk will delve into the extensive oral history collection of NIWM to explore the experiences of the Blitz from those who lived through those harrowing nights. It will be an opportunity to hear recollections on all of the major raids on Northern Ireland, highlighting how/where people sheltered, close calls and stories of the loss of family, friends and neighbours. 85 years on, explore what legacy has the blitz left behind and the eyewitness stories that are yet untold about the air raids on Northern Ireland.

This lecture will take place on Thursday 28 May 2026 at PRONI (2 Titanic Boulevard, Titanic Quarter, Belfast, BT3 9HQ) starting at 1pm.

* Register for a FREE ticket via Eventbrite: Voices from the War Memorial: Witness to the Blitz 85 years on *

About the speaker:

Michael Burns is Research Officer with the NI War Memorial Museum, achieving a 1st class honours degree in History and an MA in History (Public) from Queens University Belfast working with the War Memorial since 2017- he has interviewed over 300 people about their wartime memories. Michael is also Vice-Chairman of the Federation for Ulster Local Studies, celebrating its 50th anniversary of supporting local history in Ulster in 2025. Since July 2025, Michael has been the Oral History Society’s Regional Network Advisor for Northern Ireland providing a local point of contact and advice for NI-based oral history projects and practitioners.